S3 Ep. 2: Life Is Too Short To Be Bitter: Dianne Durham

American Prodigy: Becoming Great

Blue Wire

Sports

4.8 • 1.1K Ratings

🗓️ 28 February 2022

⏱️ ? minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Dianne Durham could have represented the United States at the 1984 Olympics in LA, but she was injured during trials. A combination of racism and internal gymnastics coaching politics meant that she was unable to petition for a spot on the team. In this episode, we give the trailblazer the flowers she deserved – almost four decades overdue. Click here for the transcript for episode 2 Click here for the Blue Wire newsletter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This episode contains accounts of physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, eating disorders, and racism.
0:07.7	You'll also hear some swearing.
0:10.7	Previously on American Prodigies.
0:14.6	I came to see Simone Biles.
0:17.5	Definitely Simone Biles because she's an amazing gymnast and she's showing people that black gymnasts can be great.
0:26.6	Being a black gymnast in a white gymnast world was one of the hardest and toughest things that I've ever had to accomplish.
0:32.6	And I found different versions of myself that I wish I found before.
0:38.1	And the version I am today is somebody that can speak up, that can defend themselves.
0:43.8	It's inevitable.
0:45.3	Read damn good.
0:46.4	So move over.
0:47.5	Go sit down and enjoy the show.
0:50.8	And embrace us.
1:09.9	14-year-old Diane Durham electrifying the audience here in Chicago.
1:15.2	You're listening to tape from the 1983 National Gymnastics Championships.
1:20.4	The championships happened in Chicago, just 30 miles from Diane Durham's hometown.
1:27.3	That championship brought me back to my gymnastics roots because this is really where it all started.
1:32.6	That's Diane in 2017, reminiscing about one of the biggest moments of her career.
1:36.0	The 1983 nationals were huge for her.
1:41.9	If she won, she'd be the first black girl to win an all-around national championship in artistic gymnastics,
1:44.5	the absolute best in the country.
1:51.9	Diane Durham, 14 years old, one routine away from capturing a national championship.
	...

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